Cigarette dispenser



l Jan. s, 1942.

l.v G. STEININGER CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed Aug. 2, 1940 /NVNTOR Loa/5 6. Srs/Naves?? BY A TTRNE if Patented Jan. 6, 1942 f UNITEDr f STATES PATENTA OFFICE e 2,269,0f5tf f 'l f CIGARETTE-,DISPENSER 5' i Louis G. Steininger, Rochester, N JY. Applicationv Augiist ,2, 1940, 'serial No. 349.722 l claims." (ci. 312:77) v This invention relates to cigarette dispensing devicesand has forits principal object to provide a novel, simplified structure and operating mechanism for a cigarette dispensing device.

' A further object of this invention is to provide i f.

a novel cigarette dispensing device of inexpensive construction.

Another object of this invention is to combine the novel structure of the cigarette dispenser with a humidifying device which is arranged so as to automatically humidify the 'contents of the dispensing device for an indefinite period.

VAll these and other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment thereof which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawing inwhich I Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cigarette dispensing device.

, Figure 2,is a Vertical sectional View of the dispensing device, the section being taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1. Figure 3v is a sectional viewof the dispensing device afterit has been operated.

Figure 4 is a.verticalsectionalview of the dispensing device with the section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 2.. A l

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of thehumidier of the cigarette dispensing device.,

`Figure 6 is a top plan view and horizontal sec-V. tion of the humidier taken on the line 6-6 infFigure 5. i y

, Figure 7 is a view of the ejector gate member.

As illustrated in these figures, the cigarette dispensing device, forming the subject matter of my present invention, comprises a base -I on which is provided a cradle shaped frame made up of the sides 2 and 3 and the back 4. At the open front of the cradle shaped frame is provided the receiving trough 5 into which the cigarettes are deposited on the operation of the dispensing device in the manner hereinafter described.

In the kcradle shaped frame, near the rear thereof, are provided a pair of spaced lugs 6, 6 which support between them the pivot pin 1. Mounted to swing on this pivot pin is a bracket 8 which supports the bottom of the receptacle 9 between the sides 2 and 3.

A substantially hair pin shaped spring I0 carried by the pivot pin I and anchored at I I to the base I, yieldingly engages the underside of the bracket 8 so as to normally urge the bracket and with it the receptacle 9 toward the back 4 of the .cradle shaped frame. The vtop of the kback 4 servesas a stop for the rearward movement of the receptacle and normally holds the receptacle in. a vertical position between the sides 2 and 3 and the back 4 ofv the cradle shaped frame.

The receptacle 9 is suitably anchored .tov and supported on the,y bracket 8 so as to provide an opening` I3 in the bottom.- of the receptacle adjacent the rfront thereof.` Supported on the base I and projecting upwardly therefrom to partially close the opening I3 is the fixed gate memberl I4. The top of this gate member has an inclined surface substantially in line-v with the angular deflecting plate `I5 whichis located within the receptacle and provides a false bottom therein that normally causes the bottom layer of the cigarette to roll forwardly against the supplementary gate member I6 carried by the receptacle so as to move therewith. In -this way the outer, lowermost cigarette is partially supported on the inclined top of-the movable gate member I6 and partially on the inclined top of the fixed gate member I4 ready to be separated frornfthe remainder of the cigarettes for deposit inA the trought'.

Within the receptacle is provided the ejector gate member I'I `which is hooked vover the top edgeof 'the 'receptacleto have its substantially wedge shaped bottom project laterally from the inside ofthe front wall of the receptacle over thecigarette which isvlocated and supported be tween the gate members I4 and I6 ready to be ejected from the receptacle. Y

receptacle is rocked by means of the knob I2 to swing forwardly and downwardly on its pivot pinf'I. Thiscauses the gate member.. I6 carried by the receptacle to move down in front of the xed gate member I4 so that the cigarette supportedbetween the gate member I6 and the gate member I4 is free to be moved past the edge of the gate member I4 into the recess I8 provided in the front thereof. For this purpose, the ejector I1 carried within the receptacle moves in front of the gate member I4 to eject the cigarette which is positioned for delivery and'to keep the other cigarettes in the receptacle from following the delivered cigarette. The gate member I6, in its movement with the receptacle, remains in front of the cigarette as it rollsinto the recess I8 and holds the cigarette in this recess until the receptacle is released and returns into its normal upright position by the action of the spring I0.

With the gate member I6 removed from in front of the recess I8, the cigarette located therein is free to roll out therefrom into the trough 5 where the cigarette is free to be picked up.

The movement of the receptacle in the delivery of each cigarette causes the top portion of the fixed `gate member I4 to move in and out of the receptacle in order to slightly jar the cigarettes remaining in the receptacle. This action of the gate member I4 keeps the cigarettes loose and aligned within the receptacle so that a new cigarette will readily roll in place for proper discharge after each operation of the dispensing device as above described.

The top ofthe receptacle is providedwith asuitable cover 20 and the operating knob l2 is mounted on this cover. Held suspended from this cover within the receptacle 9 by means of the knob l2 is the humidifier 2l. shallow receptacle made up of a non-corrosive material in which are contained one or more layers of the absorptive material such as felt which is saturated with water. In addition to this a few drops of glycerine are put into the humidier receptacle so that the hygroscopic action of the glycerin will continually replace the moisture evaporated from the humidifier. The moisture taken from the atmosphere is admitted thru the opening in the bottom of the receptacle and the cigarettes within the receptacle are thus continually subjected to moisture in its passage from the bottom of the receptacle to the humidifier at the top thereof.

rIhe cover 22 of the humidifier is slidably mounted on the container and suitable holes 23 in the cover permit the evaporation of moisture from the humidiiier and admission of moisture into the humidiiier due to the hygroscopic action of the glycerin. For the attachment of the humidifier a threaded lug 24 carried by the cover of the humidifier extends thru a suitable hole in the cover 20 of the cigarette receptacle to permit the knob l2 to be threaded thereto and thus hold the humidifier clamped to the underside of the cover within the receptacle.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device for cigarettes, the combination of a base, a receptacle having a dispensing opening therein at the bottom thereof, supporting means providing limited bodily movement for said receptacle on said base, a xed' gate member supported by said base and projecting into the opening in said receptacle for movement in and out of said opening, a second gate member movable with said receptacle and arranged thereon for normal position adjacent said fixed gate member, and an ejector carried within said receptacle and movable therewith for movement into and away from the normal position of said second gate member relative to said first gate member.

The latter comprises a l 2. In a dispensing device for cigarettes, the combination of a base, a receptacle having an opening at the bottoni thereof, pivotal supporting means for limited bodily oscillating movement of said receptacle on said base, a iixed gate member normally supported by said base adjacent the opening in said receptacle so as to project into said opening on the movement of said receptacle, a second gate member movable with said receptacle and arranged for normal position adjacent said Xed gate member and movement relative thereto, and an ejector carried within said receptacle for movement therewith and arranged to move substantially into and away from the normal position of said second gate member adjacent said fixed gate member.

3. In a dispensing device as set forth in claim 2 in which said xed gate member has a recess in the front thereof and said second gate member moves adjacent toand in front of the recess in said fixed gate member.

4. In a dispensing device for cigarettes, the combination of a base, a receptacle mounted to bodily swing on said base and having an opening in the bottom thereof, stop means on said base for holding said receptacle in a predetermined inoperative position, spring means for yieldingly holding said receptacle against said stop means, means carried by said receptacle and operated on the swinging of thereceptacle for releasing and ejecting a cigarette thru the opening in the bottom of the receptacle, preliminary receiving means for deposit of the released and ejected cigarette from the receptacle during the forward movement of the receptacle, and a receiving trough spaced from said preliminary receiving means for deposit of the ejected cigarette on the release thereof by said receptacle on its return movement.

5. In a dispensing device for cigarettes, the combination of a base, a receiving trough at the front of said base, pivot means on said base substantially at the rear thereof, a receptacle mounted to swing bodily on said pivot means and having an opening in the bottom thereof, Va fixed gate member on said base intermediate said trough and said pivot means and projecting'into the opening of said receptacle, a pocket in the side of said fixed gate member, a second gate member movable with said receptacle for the release of a cigarette thru the opening in said receptacle and deposit into said pocket on the swinging movement of said receptacle in one direction and the release of the cigarette from said pocketfor deposit into said receiving trough on the movement of said receptacle in the opposite direction.

LOUIS G. STEININGER. 

